Storage device



A l 1 1960 .1. VON DER LANCKEN STORAGE DEVICE Filed Oc. l, 1956 INVENTOR. Juumv vozv DER Zfl/VCAE/V 4rfamvsr.

STORAGE DEVICE1 Julian von der Lancken, White, Plains, N.Y. Application October l, 1956, Serial N0. 613,054

7 Claims. (C1. 312-238) The present invention relates generally to storage devices, and more particularly is directed to a removable storage device adapted for receiving articles of wearing apparel and the like.

With the advent cf contemporary or modern interior decoration for business and professional quarters, as weil as residences, the roblem has arisen of providing suitable storage space, particularly -for outer garments and the like, which Will harmonize With, and be acceptable in, an interior decorated with modern, clean-lined furniture, fixtures and accessories. The existing costumer er clothes-tree, upon wnich the supported garments a1e continuously exposed to view, is obviously an eyesore that detracts frorn theotherwise functional and pleasantly orderly appearance f a we1l designed conternporziry and modern intrior. On the othe; hand, the buildihg-in of qonventional closets is a costly procedure and is often not justified economically, particularly when thepremises are merely leased fi)r a limited ter rn during which the convenience of such fixed cl osets may be enjoyed by the tenant. Further, such built -in closetmay undesirably alter the wa1l 1ines cf a room, frorn an a esthetic point of view, and have an additional disadvantage cf restricting the free utilization of the space, for example, as in the case cf office space, which is divided by either rernovable or easily replaced partitions, so that the division of the space can be conveniently changed as required.

Accordingly, it is an object cf the present invention to provide a storage device of attractive, functional appearance that can be conveniently installed in a room without requiring any alteration cf the building structure, and that Will harmonize with, and enhance, the appearance of conternporary or modern furniture, fixtures and accessories with which such roorn is decorated.

Ancsther more specific object is to provide a storage device that is particularly adapted to replace the usual costumer or clothes-tree, and tnz1t normally maintains the stered contents hidden frorn view, but is easily manipulated to permit the insertion or removal of articles.

A further object is to provide a storage device of the described character which, aithough it is easily installed without alteration cf the existing building structure and can be relocated at will, gives the appearance cf being built-in er structurally united to the building structure in which it is located.

A still further object is to provide a storage device.of the described character that is conveniently adjustable so as to be capable of installation in building structures having different ceiling heights, and that is construcced to be held securely in place, when installed, thereby to avoid the danger of tipping over when loaded with stored articles.

In accordance with an aspect of the, present invention, a storage device includes a vertical rod er slender tube adapted to be mounted adjacent a Wall, er in a corner of a room, for exarnple, between the floor and ceiling, and a generally cylindrical storage member rotatably supported by the rod er tube with its axis concentric with ats atent theaxis of the latter, the storagemember hazving an open.- ing in the side wall thereof extending over a minor portion cf its circumference, for example, '00 en close an angle of approximately 90 degrees, so that, when the storage mernber is rotated to a position in which its opening fa ces toward the interior cf the room, articles can be inserted in, er removed from, the interior cf the Storme1n'uer, and, when the storage member is rotated to a position in which its opening faces toward the adjacent wall 01 corner, the storage member shields, or hides from view, the articles stored therein.

In accordance with a further aspect of be invention, the rod 01' slender tube, on which the Storage member is rotatably mounted, is preferably of adjustable length so that it can be placed vertically between the floor and ceiling in a relatively short condition and then lengthened so as to abut tightly, at its opposite ends, against the fioor and ceiling and thereby be firmly h.eld in the de- Sired vertical position while giving the appearance of being an integral part cf the building structure.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages 0f the invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof which is t0 be read in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of a storage device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a seetional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken aiong Ihe line 33 cf Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional viewtaken along the line 4-4 of Fig l; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmenary perspective view illustrating a modification of the storage device of Figs. 1 to 4.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and initially to Fig. 1 thexeof, a storage device ernbodying the present invention, and generally identified by the reference numeral 111, is there seen to include an elongated support 11 adapted to be mounted vertically in a roorn adjacent a Wall, or in a corner between tWo Walls, and a storage mernber 12 carried by the support 11 and iotatable about its longitudinal axis which coincides with th.e axis o1" the support.

The elongated support 11 is longer than the longitudi mal dimension of the storage member 12 and has its opposite end portions extending above and below the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the storage membe1 so that the latter will be raised above the floor, or other surface, on whic'n the support rests.

Under most circumstances, that is, when the storage device i) 1's to be installed in a room having a reasonable ceiling height, the support 11 is intended to extend between, and engage the floor F and ceiling C, as in Fig. i, and to be held in its desired vertical position merely by such engagement. Since the distance between the floor and ceiling m-ay vary siightly at difi"erent locations within a particular room or in different rooms having the same nominal ceiling height, it is desirable that the length of the support 11 be adjustable. Further, providing a support 11 of adjustable length makes it possible to reduce tne length of the support for ease in erecting the 1aiter and disposing the support at the desired location in the roorn and to, thereafter, increase the length of the support so that the latterwill be tightly clamped or engaged, at its opposite ends, by the floor and ceiling.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, the suppont 11 includes an elongated tubular member 13 having internal threads 14 in its 1ower ortion, and a pedestal 15 having an externally threaded, upstanding central spindle 16 which is screwed into the lower and scri bed above.

of tubular member 13 (Fig. 4). A pad o1 layer 17 cf leather, cork, rubber or the like, may b e provided on the underside of the pedestal 15 to provide a high coetficient of friction between the latter and the floor S111- face and to preven-t n1arring of the latter by the pedestal. The support 11 further includes an upper fitting 18 in the formof a disc having a plug 19 depending centrally therefrom to be received in the upper end portion of the tubular member 13 'and an upwardly extending, centrally located, Pointed pin 20 adapted to pier'ce the usual plaster of the ceiling C when the disc-like upper fitting 18 is pressed against the latter. If-desired, the upper fitting may further be provided, on its upper surface, with a pad or layer 21, similar to the pad 17, to prevent marring bf the ceiling beyond the small puncture made by the pin 20.

In installing the support 11 between the floor F and ceiling C, the pedestal 15 is rotated relative to the tubular member 13 in the direction for decreasing the overall length cf the support until such overall length is substantially less than the distance between the floor and ceiling. Then, with the pedestal 15 resting at the desired location on the floor adjacent a wall, or the corner between Walls, and with the tubular rnember 13 held vertical, the tubular member 13 is rotated relative to the pedestal 15 in the direction for increasing the overall length of the support until the pin 20 of the upper fitting 18 punctures the ceiling and, finally, the upper fitting bears strongly against the ceiling, thereby t produce a correspqnclingly high pressure cf the pedestal 15 against the floor.

Set screws 22 and 23 may be provided in the upper and lower end portions cf the tubular member 13 to engage the plug 19 of the upper fitting and to engage in a longitudinal groove 24 in the threaded spindle 16 of the pedestal (Fig. 4), respectively, thereby to prevent rotation of the tubular member 13 relative to the upper fitting and pedestal after the support 11 has been tightly en gaged between the floor and ceiling in the manner cle- It is apparent that, when the support is tightly engaged between the floor and ceiling, the pin 20 positively prevents lateral shifting of the upper end of the support and thereby avoids tipping of the support.

Since the support 11 is formed from a pedestal 15 and upper fitting 18 which are rernovable from the tubular member 13, it is apparent that the support can be made to accommodate large variations in ceiling height merely by replacing the tubular member with one of suitable length. Thus, the manufacturer need only stock, or make to special order, dilferent lengths of metal tubes, while the upper fit tings and pedestals ean be standardized for all installations.

However, when the ceiling height is excessive 01' it is otherwise undesirable to secure the upper end of the support against the teiling, the upper fitting 18 of the support 11 in Fig. 1 may be replaced by a bracket 25 (Fig. having a cpllar 26 fitting on the upper end of the tubular member 13 and which may be secured to the latter by a set screw 27, and legs 28 and 29 extending radially from the collar, preferably at right angles to each other, and having apertured mounting pads 30 and 31, respectively, at their free ends for attachment, by screws, toggle or expansion bolts and the like, the Walls forming the adjacent corner cf the wenn.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the storage member 12 is preferably of generally cylindrical configuration and includes circular top and bottom end walls 32 and 33, respectively, which may be formed of wood or any other suitably rigid material, and a curved side wall 34 which extends around less than the full circumference 015 the cylindrical storage member so as to leave an opening 35 (Fig. 2) which encompasses approxirnately one-quarter or ninety degrees cf the circumference and extends between the top and bottom Walls 32 and 33. The side Wall 34 may;:beformed of ply-wood, metal,*plastics er any other suitable material that may be bent o1 molded to the desired curvature, and the vertical edges thereof may be reinforced by suitable stifiening members' 36 and 37 forming the side margins of the opening 35. Further the edges cf the top and bottom Walls 32 and 33 respectively, therein which rotatably receive the tubular member 13. At least the lower bearing 41 is also adapted to support the downward thrust of the storage membar and, for this purpose, the bearing 41 of the illustrated embodiment has a radial flange 42 (Fig. 3) at its lower end underlying the bottom surface of end wall 33 and cb'op'erating with a similar flange 43 011 a collar 44 secured, as by a set screw 45, at a suitable location above the lower end of member 13 to form a racewaiy for balls 46 disPosed between the flanges 42 and 43. Thus, the flanges 42 and 43 and the interposed balls 46 or other rolling bodies provide an anti-friction thrust bearing supporting the storage member 12 and ensuring the easy turning cf the latter.

Although the support 11 of the illustrated preferred ernbodirnent of the invention is normally held against rotation, while the storage mernber 12 is rotatable with respect to the.lat-ter it is to be noted that the rotational mounting of the storage member on the elongated supportmay be achieved by securing the storage member to the support and permitting rotation of the latter.

It is apparent that, when the support 11 is installed and held vertically, in the manner previously described, at a location adjacent a wall, er in a corner between t wo Walls, as in Fig. 2, the storage member 12 can be turned between the position shown in Fig. 2, in which the opening 35 faces away from the adjacent corner or wall, thereby to permit insertion of articles into, or re rnpval of articles from, the interior cf the storage mernber, and a position (not shown) in which the opening 35 faces to-' ward the adjacent Wall or corner so that the side wall 34 then efiectively hides the con-tents of the storage niember from view in the direction toward the adjacent wall or cornei. Thus, while the storage device 10 is a free standing unit that can be relocated at Will, mere manipulation of the turnable storage member is eflective to permit easy access to the interior of the latter orto shield the contents from view.

The illustrated storage device 10 is 'specifically intended for the storage of articles ofwearing apparel, for example, as a replacement for the existing clothes tree or costurner. In order to perform that function, the storage member 12 further includes a shelf 47 extending thereacross and supported from the side Wall 34 at a location substantilly closer to the top Wall 32 than the bottom Wall 33 so that the interior cf the storage member is divided into a relatively small upper compartment 48 for the storage therein of hats andthe like, resting upon the shelf, and a relatively large lower compartment 49 adapted to accommodate outer garments, jackets and the like. The shelf 47 has a central opening 50 of larger diameter than the tubular member 13 so that the latter can extend loosely through opening 50 to avoid binding therein in the event that the tubular member flexes or the opening 50 is not in exact axial alignment with the bearings 40 and 41.

Preferably, outer garments, jackets and the like, are stored within the compartment 49 on conventional hangers, and the storage device 10 is provided With rods 51 and 52 from which such hangers can be suspended. As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, each of the rods 51 and 52 is of generally U-shaped configuration and has a straight cross-portion with legs extending upwardly from the op:

posite ends of the latter through suitable openings in the shelf 47, the upper ends of the legs being threaded to receive nuts, as at 53 (Fig. l), which support the rods 51 and 52 frorn the shelf 47. Preferably, the rods 51 and 52 are disposed at opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the storage member 12 With their cross-portions in axial alignment with each other and disposed 011 a diameter that is substantially perpendicular to a radial line bisecting the opening 35 (Fig. 2). With the rods 51 and 52 thus arranged, hangers can be easily engaged with, and rernoved frorn, the cross-portions cf the rods through the opening 35. Since the rods 51 and 52 rotate with the storage member 12, the relationship of the rods to the access opening 35 will rernain constant for easy insertion and rernoval of garrnents through that opening, and it will not be necessary to always turn the storage rnember 12 through a complete one hundred and eighty degrees from the position wherein the opening 35 faces toward the adjacent wall or corner in order to perrnit insertion or removal of the garments.

Although the storage device 10 illustrated and described in detail herein is intended particularly for the storage of articles of Wearing apparel, for example, as a replacement for the usual clothes tree or costumer, it is t be understood that the invention is not limited to that particular adaptation thereof, since by he provision of additional shelves 0r other interior fittings the storage device can be adapted for the storage of other articles, and that the described and illustrated' embodiment may be otherwise modified, in ways obvious to persons skilled in the art, without departing from the scope or spirit cf the invention, except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A free-standing removable storage device consisting of an elongated support adapted for vertical mounting adjacent at least one wall surface within a building structure, and a manually rotatable, wholly and permanently visible, generally cylindrical storage Inember having said support extending axially therethrough and projecting substantial distances at its opposite ends beyond said storage mem' her, the latter being carried exclusively by said support and having a single, permanently uncovered opening in the side thereof extending over a minor portion of its circumference so that, when said storage member is turned to position said opening in a direction facing away from the adjacent wall surface, articles can be inserted in, and removed from, the interior cf said storage mernber through said opening, and, when said storage rnember is turned to position said opening in a direction facing toward the adjacent wall surface, articles within said storage member are hiclden from view in directions toward' the adjacent wall surface.

2. A free-standing removable storage device as in claim l; wherein said support is longitudinally extensible so as to be tightly engageable between a floor and ceiling and thereby held with its longitudinal axis extending vertically.

3. A free-standing rernovable storage device as in claim 1; wherein said support has a bracket on its upper end including radial arrns having mounting pads at their free ends attachable to the adjacent wall surface for holding the support with its longitudinal axis extending vertically.

4. A free-standing removable storage device consisting of an elongated extensible support for tight engagement between a floor and ceiling adjacent at least one wall surface thereby to be held with its axis extending veru" cally, a continuously and wholly exposed, generally cylindrical storage member including end Walls and a curved outer side wall between the latter and extending over only a major portion of the circurnference of the storage member so that the side edges of said side wall are spaced apart 10 define a single, permanently uncovered opening therebetween into the interior of said storage member, and means rotatably mounting said storage member exclusively on said support intermediate the end's cf the latter with said ends of the support projecting substantially beyond said and Walls of the storage member and with the axes of said storage member and support coinciding so that said storage member may be manually turned relative to the support between an unloading and loading position in which said opening faces away from the adjacent wall surface to permit free access to the interior of the storage member and a normal stol'age position in which said opening faces toward the adjacent wall surface and said side wall hides the contents of the storage mernber from view.

5. A free-standing removable storage device as in claim 4; wherein said support includes an elongated tubular member having a threaded lower and portion, a pedestal having a threaded upstanding extension threadably engaging said lower end portion of the tubular member so that rotation of the latter relative to said pedestal is eflective to vary the overall length of said support, and releas able means for locking said tubular rnember against rotation relative to said pedestal.

6. A free-standing removable storage device as in claim 5; wherein said support further includes a disc-like fitting at the upper end of said tubular mernber ad'apted to seat against the ceiling and a pointed pin extending centrally frorn said disc-like fitting and adapted to pierce the ceiling for preventing lateral shifting of the upper end of the support when the latter is tightly engaged between the floor and ceiling.

7. A free-standing rernovable storage device as in claim 4; wherein said storage member has rod means fixedly supported therein in the upper portion of the interior of the storage mernber and extending along a diameter of the latter that is generally perpendicular to a line bisecting the angle enclosed by said opening so that said rod means turn with said storage member and clothes hangers can be conveniently suspended from, and disengaged from, said rod means through said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 631,083 Levinson Aug. 15, 1899 888,142 Bonesteel May 19, 1908 1,033711 Leland Jluly 23, 1912 1221796 Egbert Apr. 3, 1917 1,882,277 Everson Oct. 11, 1932 1929677 Davis Oct. 10, 1933 2396,992 Evans Mar. 19, 1946 2629643 Davidson Feb. 24, 1953 2693,401 Brown Nov. 2, 1954 2698776 Stoeckl Jan. 4, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 218,108 Great Britain July 3, 1924 

